What a Wonderful World
by MapleTreeway
Summary: "I see trees of green, red roses too. I watch them bloom for me and you, and I think to myself, 'What a wonderful world.'" he said looking at her intently...  J/P snippet story!


**A/N: Louis Armstrong gave me this idea by singing "What a Wonderful World":D I know it's not really supposed to be a love song, but I couldn't resist! A short snippet of J/P.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing**

Jester watched the Cook in the gardens lean over and collects some herbs. The sky was crisp with autumn; the leaves on the branches of the trees were fire; and the atmosphere pleased Jester immensely. His soul could not have been happier – except the fact that Pepper didn't talk anymore due to the fact that Rake left her stranded just for another. "Stupid of him," Jester muttered.

He continued to watch the maiden pick herbs endlessly wondering how long it will be till she stopped while the clouds gathered in the horizon. Seeing all of this, he figured a fresh autumn storm was brewing Lighting and Thunder. "I wonder if Pepper feels the same," he voiced aloud.

A good-long ten minutes it was until she finally stopped the picking and returned to the kitchens giving Jester a quick nod on her way down. He smiled at her hoping it would lift some of the sorrow. Seeing as though it did not, he picked up his lute and made his way down into the smoldering hot oven where Pepper worked. Jester figured if his smile did not produce happiness to her, then the song he wrote just for her would.

"Hello Pepper!"

"Jester," at least he got a voice out of her.

"Mind if I play a song?"

"No not at all. I would love to hear one actually."

"Champion!" he said begging to strum. It was only a few seconds before he began to sing, "_Well I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom for me and you, and I think to myself, 'What a wonderful world.'_

"_I see skies of blue, and clouds of white. The bright blessed day, the sacred night, and I think to myself, 'What a wonderful world.'_

"_The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people going by. I see friends shaking hands saying, 'How do you do?' They're really saying, 'I love you.'_

"_I hear babies crying, I watch them grow. They'll never learn much more than I'll never know, and I think to myself, 'What a wonderful world.' Yes, I think to myself, 'What a wonderful world.'"_

Jester looked at Pepper after he sang. He saw her turn toward him with tears in her eyes. He heard her say, "That was very pretty. I wish it could be so."

"'Wish it could be so'? Pepper don't you realize that song was meant for – for you?" he dropped his gaze as he rehearsed one of the lines, "_Well I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom for me and you, and I think to myself, 'What a wonderful world.'"_

"Oh Jester," she breathed putting a hand to her mouth when he glanced at her.

Before he knew it, she was giving him a hug, and he found himself hugging her back. Then he heard her sobbing in his shoulder, and he gently removed her and looked into her eyes. She turned away saying, "I am sorry. So sor-sorry, I do not know what became over me."

"I know: Love is a haunting, yet brokenly sweet, Hallelujah, it can be a good thing, or it can be heartbreak. It is both of those, which is why, in your case, you started to cry. Because you felt both of those before and therefore you do not want to fall again."

"I-I do not want to hurt you Jester. You have been far too kind," she looked back into his eyes and for a second she looked like herself again. Only for a second before she returned to looking forlorn.

"Pepper you could not have hurt me more than Jane has. I gave her advice, jokes, amusement, passion and she has not returned yet. That has hurt more then ever you can do," she smiled at his words thanked that she did not hurt him before returning to the pastries she was preparing for the evening meal. "And Pepper, I just wanted you to know that I l-love y-you."

She stiffened and stopped what she was doing for a split second before turning around with a knife in hand. Her eyebrows arched up as she crossed her arms over her chest. Jester immediately looked down, ashamed and blushing, and ran out of the kitchens.

_Fool! You fool! _He cried in his head.

"Jester, come back!" someone called. _Pepper,_ Jester sang stopping in his tracks. How could he go on when his new love was calling his name so sweet like sugar? How could he when her voice varied from all others? How could he? He couldn't – he could not go onward.

His heart whispered saying, "Go back! Go back!" while his body and mind said sternly, "Do not! Do not! She will tear your heart to pieces, just as Jane has done to you only in a different fashion. Do not go back!" But alas, his heart won and he followed the voice that spoke his name like sugar. Sweet Sugar.

_Love really is heart-obeying and not mind-obeying thing is it not? Love really takes control in you. The broken Hallelujah! _The lover thought as he approached the Cook blushing. She took no noticed but grabbed the collar of his shirt firmly and tugged it down so that their lips were a dozen centimeters apart. One could easily forget how strong she was until too late.

"Jester, I-" she started looking at the ground, "I-I love you too." She then resumed her gaze on his before closing the gap between their lips.

_What a wonderful world, _Jester thought while kissing Pepper. _What a wonderful world…_


End file.
